Best Things To Do In Utrecht

1. Climb the Dom Tower

The gothic-style Dom Tower, located in the heart of Utrecht, is truly iconic to the beautiful, historical town of Holland. It is also the highest church tower in all of Holland, rising 112 meters (367.5 feet), into the air. It’s impossible to miss, as it is visible from so many places in the center. Originally, the Dom Tower was part of the never-finished Saint Martin Cathedral, built between 1321 and 1382. The tower became freestanding when the church collapsed in 1674. The Dom Tower is located in Dom Square, the place where the city of Utrecht originated, 2000 years ago. You can take a guided one-hour tour, learn all about the tower’s history and climb the 465 steps to the top. The city view from up there is truly inspiring!

Dom Toren

Address: Domplein 21, 3512 JC Utrecht, Netherlands

Website: Dom Toren

2. Canal boat ride

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The most idyllic way to see the city of Utrecht, with all of its ancient canals and wharf cellars, is by boat! Do it the Dutch way: bring a picnic basket full of sandwiches and snacks along with a bottle of wine, your travel companions and enjoy the good life! Doing this, you will get a good feel of how Dutch people like to spend their summers.

Greenjoy - Rent a Boat

Address: Wittevrouwensingel 58

Website: Greenjoy

3. Utrecht Botanical Gardens

Surround yourself with Holland’s beautiful, unspoiled nature at Utrecht’s Botanical Gardens, located at the city’s university. Within the university’s Science Park, there are six gardens, each with their own character. You can spend hours here, enjoying the peaceful ambiance and admiring over 1000 species of plants. The on-site Rock Garden is one of the largest in all of Europe. You will love it!

Botanical Gardens Utrecht

Address: Budapestlaan 17, 3584 HD Utrecht, Netherlands

Website: Botanical Gardens Utrecht

4. Visit Wilhelmina Park

There is nothing as wonderful and relaxing than hanging around in a city park on a sunny day. Bring a picnic blanket, some drinks and snacks and simply enjoy the peaceful, typical Dutch scenery. Wilhelmina is a beautiful city park, located in the center of Utrecht. It doesn’t get greener than this!

Wilhelmina Park

Address: 3581 Utrecht, Netherlands

Website: Wilhelmina Park (in Dutch)

5. Smell the roses at the flowermarket

A trip to Holland is not complete without visiting a Dutch flower market. At Janskerkhof, in the center of Utrecht, you will be blown away by the sea of scents and colors, especially on Saturdays. Want to plant some tulips in your own garden, back home? Buy some of the tulip bulbs and try.

Janskerkhof

Address: 3512 BK Utrecht, Netherlands

6. Go cycling like the Dutch do

You will see them everywhere and nearly one for every human: bicycles. No wonder the Dutch are famous for them! There is no better way to explore the city of Utrecht and its surroundings, than by bicycle. Ride up and over the canals, through the hustle and bustle of the city center and around to see the beautiful countryside. It is quite a wonderful ride and a great way to sniff up some culture and experience life as a Dutch person.

7. DOMunder - 200 years of Utrecht history

A whole different world awaits you, beneath Dom Square, in the center of Utrecht. With DOMunder, you literally go underground and learn all about the city’s history, going back 200 years to medieval and Roman times. With a flashlight as your best friend, you will explore the world beneath the surface, where you get to admire archaeological finds and hear exciting stories of the past. Fun and interesting for young and old!

DOMunder

Address: Domplein 4, 3512 JC Utrecht, Netherlands

Website: DOMunder

8. Fairy tale dreams come true at Castle de Haar

The biggest castle in all the Netherlands is located near the center of Utrecht and therefore, it is not to be missed! Surrounded by endless manicured lawns, planted with colorful flowers on one side and a peaceful lake on the other, Castle de Haar truly looks like a fairy tale castle, straight out of a children’s book or a Disney movie. The castle was built between 1892 and 1912, with the incorporation of the original castle’s ruins which date back to the 15th century. Inside, you can admire lots of beautiful antiques from all over the world. A must-see!

Castle de Haar

Address: Kasteellaan 1 3455 RR Haarzuilens, Netherlands

Website: Castle de Haar

9. Go shopping

Of course, the city center of Utrecht is home to endless shopping boutiques and fashion stores. It makes a wonderful day just to walk around, do some shopping, have a coffee, enjoy a yummy lunch at one of the charming cafés and do some more shopping. On top of that, Utrecht has Hoog Catharijne, which is one of the biggest indoor shopping centers in Holland. Hoog Catharijne houses more than 150 stores and it is connected to the central train station, making it easily accessible.

Hoog Catharijne

Address: Stationsplein 97, 3511 ED Utrecht, Netherlands

Website: Hoog Catharijne (in Dutch)

10. Museum hopping in Utrecht

Yes, Utrecht has plenty of interesting museums to go ‘museum hopping’. The Central Museum and the Railway Museum are just two of the best. There is also the Aboriginal Art Museum, the Speelklok Museum, where you get to see and hear traditional Dutch street organs and the Kruideniers Museum, where you can see and try old Dutch candy, such as licorice. Kids will certainly love the last one!

Central Museum

Address: Agnietenstraat 1, 3512 XA Utrecht, Netherlands

Website: Centraal Museum

Railway Museum

Address: Maliebaanstation, 3581 XW Utrecht, The Netherlands

Website: Spoorweg Museum (in Dutch)

Utrecht awaits you

Just as beautiful but less touristy than Amsterdam, go explore the city of Utrecht before everyone else does!